Timeless
by WaterLily95
Summary: 7 days, 7 prompts, timeless love. Kataang Week 2017!
1. Smile

**Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA or A:LOK.**

 _ **A/N: Off to a late start but still going for it! Happy Kataang Week :3**_

* * *

 _Day 1: Smile_

He had been rather quiet all night, not exactly sure when or how long he slept _if_ he actually did, and by the time they reached an Earth Kingdom town the next day, the morning sun was high over their heads and they landed with growling stomachs. Golden light spilled intensely over the tattooed monk who sat near Appa, his back leaning against the bison's fur while the Water Tribe siblings bickered in the near distance. Situated in his lap was an untouched jelly pastry wrapped in a few leaves the group had gathered earlier.

All morning, he hadn't been as cheerful even with the newfound company of Momo. No jokes, no vacation suggestions, none of the usual goofy wake-up pranks on Sokka. Only an attempted grin every now and then assuring his friends that he would be okay.

 _"Sokka and I. We're your family now."_

He sighed, feeling warmth seep into him and comfort him with the promise provided in those words, and true to their sincerity, Katara and Sokka had been understanding about what happened. It hadn't been a full twenty four hours since the devastation they witnessed at the temple, and they figured Aang needed the time to reflect and let it all sink in, so the warrior went off hunting while Katara sought to interact with the townsfolk.

Aang had gradually tried his best to get his mind off of the Air Temple. Really, he did. He had volunteered to help Katara set up camp properly, conversed of his plans to still ride the koi fish and the hopping llamas, helped her carry the few supplies they were able to get with what little money was left. And yet no matter _what_ he did, with every blink, he could still see the Southern Air Temple flaring before him. His home, his way of life, his people- all consumed by the play of power that had ravaged the world for the last century. Fleeting thoughts entered his mind at will, such as the unbelievable amount of power he apparently displayed when he felt his heart sink low enough in front of Gyatso's bones.

A shudder chilled him despite the air being hot. He could only be grateful that at this very moment, he had pieces of home with him in Appa and Momo. That he wasn't completely alone.

A shadow approached him, acting as cool shade against the blistering heat. "You haven't touched your cake." Katara, the oceans of her eyes swirling with concern.

"I'm not really hungry," he mumbled, scooting so she could sit beside him.

"Still thinking about what happened?"

"I'll be fine."

A small pause followed as her arm found its way around his shoulders. "I know that me losing my mom isn't the same degree of loss as having to lose an entire culture and way of life, everyone that you've known...but there's always another door open when one closes."

"Still, losing loved ones is extremely painful. I can't imagine how hard it was for you and Sokka when you lost your mother." A broken huff. "But what hurts the most in my case is that...I wasn't there. I couldn't do... _anything…_ "

"I know it's hard, I do," she said. "I felt the exact same way. I felt like I couldn't do anything, either, and I was actually _there_ when the raid happened. Trust me, I know exactly how you feel."

"But you were really young. I wasn't. For me, it was my responsibility to protect." He stared at the ground. "All this time, I'd been running away from my identity as the Avatar, and by the time I accepted it, by the time I started thinking that it's time I did something to protect the world...everything just…fell apart and...there's still so much I don't know. I don't know how Roku is going to help me."

She held him closer, and he sank into her arms like he did at the temple, tempted to lose himself to sorrow. "To tell you the truth, we're all too young to even be actively involved in the war right now. We're all being forced to grow up quickly."

He nodded slowly.

"When my dad left me and Sokka behind to go fight in the war, all the men in the tribe left, too." A sigh. "I can still clearly remember how bummed out Sokka was because he wasn't allowed to go to fight. And he was around, what, ten at the time? The minimum age to go to war in the tribes is sixteen, the same age Avatars usually find out about their true identity."

" _This whole Avatar thing... maybe the monks made a mistake."_

" _The only mistake they made was telling you before you turned sixteen."_

"So it's not fair for you to be hard on yourself and think you couldn't do anything about what happened. As an airbender or as the Avatar," she said. "But there _will_ be a way for you to succeed, Aang. Several ways, I'm sure. I know you can do this. Just watch. You'll be one of the greatest Avatars in all of history."

That certainly lifted his spirits up, but another fear dawned over him. "But the thought of me being constantly targeted thanks to the war...if anything happens-"

"Aang, please, don't say things like that," she stopped him, her heart tugging painfully at the mere possibility of this boy being in danger. "Nothing's going to happen to you. Sokka and I promise that we will do everything we can to protect you."

"It's not that, Katara." He looked up. "If anything happens to you and Sokka...you're all I have left. I can't lose you guys."

The look on her face softened. "I trust that you will protect us, Aang, the way we'll protect you. And I also know that no matter what, we'll be here for you. We're in this together."

"And I'm really thankful for that," he said sincerely. "For you guys. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't calmed me down earlier. I could've hurt you."

"But you didn't. You listened. And you accepted us as your family. Don't ever see yourself as a threat. The world needs you, Sokka needs you, _I_ need you."

He smiled, then, his stormy eyes shining. "And I need you, too-"

"Momo, I need that, put it down!"

Katara scowled at her brother who was almost to the point of wrestling with the lemur for a piece of fruit again. She ended up dropping her glare, however, as Aang watched the two in amusement and continued wistfully, "And I definitely consider myself lucky. It's not everyday you run into people who are willing to stay by your side."

"Well, it's not everyday you run into the Avatar who saves your village and is willing to take you to the North Pole to help you master waterbending," she smiled, nudging him softly. "And help your brother kick Fire Nation butts on the way."

"I guess so," he chuckled. "But I need to learn waterbending, too, so you could say it's a mutual benefit."

"Of course."

"Momo, get back here!"

"Yeah, Sokka's a downright idiot sometimes," Katara mumbled as she watched the warrior flail around. "But if he makes up his mind to protect someone, he'll do it one way or another." She smiled. "And if you ever need to talk...not just about this but anything else...you know I'm always here."

"I know. Thank you, Katara. What you said really means a lot to me-"

"Hey, there's not enough jelly in this."

The waterbender groaned and looked up again, pure annoyance crossing over her expression. "What _now_ , Sokka?"

"Where'd you guys get these pastries, huh? How am I supposed to eat them without enough jelly in them?"

"What do you mean, there's _loads_ of it."

"Yeah, Sokka. Try it for yourself and see."

"I can tell just by looking that it could use a little more," the warrior said, peering into the cake skeptically. "And it's starting to smell bad, too."

"I can't believe you," Katara stood up. "Those townsfolk were nice enough to give us something to eat, and instead of showing appreciation, you're complaining about it?"

"I'm not complaining. I'm just saying it looks a little dry-"

"The more you argue, the drier they'll get, so eat up and stop screeching like a deranged hyena-bat!"

"Guys, I think we should-" Aang began but was cut off by more of the bickering.

"But I still think they're- _gaaah_! HEY!" the warrior yelled as Katara, who had clearly had enough, encased her pastry in a ball of water and shoved it in her brother's face across the five-foot distance. The cream spilled through the pastry and splattered his cheekbones.

"Mmmph!"

"Seriously, Sokka, you need to learn to grow up, I swear."

"Me?! Katara, I've had _enough_ of your magic water- Mmmphmppfmph! Stop it, Momo!"

Momo, who had just then taken a break from harassing Sokka, instantly attacked the warrior again and began licking the remnants of the cake off of Sokka's eyes and nose. He took a seat on top of the teen's head, the juices travelling up the warrior's hair with the motion of the lemur's sticky feet.

" _Ugh,_ Momo, you're making it even worse! Stupid bending, stupid lemur, stupid cakes."

The waterbender continued griping to herself until she saw that the monk was laughing wistfully at the scene, wiping away the tiny traces of moisture left in his eyes. For a moment, he was suddenly reminded of the aim practices he had with Gyatso, the propelling of the fruit pies which always happened to land on the high monks and attracted the lemurs to pick off of their heads. He beamed in his usual cheerful manner as Katara flashed him a wide smile of her own.

"Say, Aang, you might be a master airbender and all, but you should still keep in touch with your aims."

"My aims?" he raised his eyebrows curiously.

"Well yeah. In fact, I need to practice my waterbending aims, too." She gestured to the container of pastries nearby and pointing to a struggling Sokka as he pried Momo off of him and tried to clean up the mess on his head, oblivious to the duo's conversation and intentions.

" _We can't concern ourselves with what_ was _. We must act on what_ is _."_

Appa roared, seeming to nudge Aang forward, and soon enough, the airbender was mirroring Katara's wide smirk.

"It _would_ be fun...but poor Sokka…"

"Eh, he'll be okay."

"The cakes might go to waste, though."

"You forget, we have two containers of them. Sokka thinks there's only one."

* * *

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"One...two...three!"

Five or six cakes came crashing down on Sokka's head from the direction of Appa's saddle, and needless to say that Momo did not leave Sokka alone for the rest of the day and Sokka vowed to never again touch a jelly pastry in his _life_...well, not anytime soon, at least.


	2. Best Friends

_Day 2: Best Friends_

While the other members of the group were situated beneath an elaborate archway in the far side of the Western Air Temple, supposedly occupied with their meals, Aang and Katara were seated several feet away next to the fountain in the main courtyard, both of them doused by the last of orange, yellow, and pink palettes in the wake of the sunset. Both were rather oblivious, however, to how Teo, Haru, and the Duke watched their interaction from afar in utter amusement.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Glowing hands gently surveyed the Avatar's arms, running along slightly calloused skin, worry etched across the master waterbender's face.

"I'm fine, Katara." Silver eyes smiled in accordance with a reassuring grin. "Promise."

"Don't hide anything from me just because I'll blow up on that jerk."

Zuko looked up at the duo briefly, and upon seeing the others' awkward looks cast in his direction, went back to playing with his food, shrugging off his temper with a sigh. Toph snickered.

"I'm really okay, Katara," Aang's voice turned soft. "You're the healer. You would know if I was hurt."

"But I wouldn't know if you were attacked," she murmured, her hands trailing up to his shoulder. "I was so worried. I thought you would be back by night."

"It was completely unexpected. We didn't think we'd see anyone there in the first place, but there we were, stuck inside for a few hours…"

And it went on for a while with Aang easing her doubts and worries, that tender look never leaving his face.

"Those two," Haru chuckled as the subtle roar of the fountain eventually blocked off their words.

Sokka looked up from devouring his meat. "Those two what?"

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious," Teo agreed. "And he's certainly not complaining about it."

"What's obvious?" Sokka pressed. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, Katara's just checking to see if Aang's hurt," the Duke said.

"So?"

"Yeah, no big deal. I'm sure it's normal for her to do that whenever he leaves the group for something and comes back."

"It's not a habit," Zuko huffed. "It's because I'm in the picture."

Sokka tried to pacify the situation. "No, no, Katara's usually overprotective when it comes to Aang. I mean, yeah, you were a jerk before-" he paused as Zuko looked up again. "Sorry...okay, look, this isn't just about you. Katara doesn't even trust me with certain things sometimes when it comes to Aang."

"That might be true, but don't try too hard, Snoozles. Sparky knows the deal."

"Way to make him feel better, Toph," the Duke said.

"No need to hide any facts around here. Katara already yelled at Zuko earlier asking him what took them so long and where he took Aang the entire time."

"Yeah, she did," Zuko said gruffly.

"And she obviously didn't believe him, so she dragged Twinkletoes to an impromptu healing session. Now that he's doing all the explaining, there's a greater chance she'll believe in what Aang says over-"

"I _knew_ it was dangerous to have you go with him alone. You should've just let me come with you! Either that or you shouldn't have gone at all." Katara's voice rose as Aang tried to calm her down, pulling her rising form back down next to him. "What am I saying?" she sighed the next second. "Of course you had to go. It was important."

Aang's comforting smile didn't waver. He simply pulled her in for a hug.

"Guys, there's nothing to look that deeply into," Sokka said. "This is normal for them. Katara's been this way since...well, day one, really."

The warrior watched as his sister went on to examine the airbender's back. The lightning scar gleamed beneath the light, evoking a wince from the waterbender. Toph frowned in the midst of her chewing at the sharp jolt in Katara's heartbeat.

"And it gradually got worse since what happened at Ba Sing Se," Sokka added, his tone turning a bit darker. "Even if it's not obvious, she freaks out over every little thing sometimes."

"Yeah, Sugar Queen got pretty pissed off at the rest of us whenever we interrupted the healing sessions. She had nightmares, too, at times."

A quiet shudder went through them.

"I guess the credit for the Ba Sing Se incident goes to me, too," Zuko said guiltily. "Azula might have shot the lightning, but if I'd chosen to hold her off-"

"Why talk about that now? Aang's healed, everything's fine...except for Sozin's Comet, of course," Sokka said. "And you have the chance to redeem yourself. You're doing a pretty good job of it so far."

"Yeah," the Duke said. "And as for Katara, the fear might be there, but in the end, she still healed her boyfriend."

Sokka spat out his soup, almost choking on the piece of meat in his throat. " _Boyfriend_?!"

"Haha," Toph sang.

"Why're you so surprised?" Teo asked.

"Aang and my sister aren't _together_ -!"

" _Yet_ ," Toph said, earning a look from Sokka. The others appeared shocked. Even Zuko was skeptical about Sokka's denial of it.

 _"When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara. And after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love."_

 _People you love._ It was obvious that Aang had feelings for Katara, those very feelings being the basis by which Aang accepted Zuko into the group in the first place. And the fact that Katara was willing to give Zuko death threats in her defense of Aang made her feelings for the Avatar all the more mutual.

"Maybe I shouldn't have said anything," the Duke mumbled. "But it's all a matter of time before..." he didn't finish as Sokka gave him a look next.

"They're not?" Haru asked. "Then what are they?"

"What do you mean what are they? They're best friends!"

" _Just_ best friends?" Teo cocked a brow in suspicion.

" _Just_ best friends," Sokka confirmed with a firm but exasperated nod.

The entire group suddenly went silent, happening to hear Katara laugh from something Aang was saying. He had easily cheered her up. The others looked at Sokka as if they'd proven their point.

 _It's only a matter of time._

Sokka seemed to forget his resolve for a moment, involuntarily smiling a little and shaking his head as Katara laughed harder at whatever the two were discussing. Really the possibility of those two being together didn't seem to bother Sokka as much as his brotherly instincts claimed otherwise for the time being, and everyone could see straight through him.

"Best friends…"

"Ah, 'best friends'…"

"I guess that's just how it is..."

But the group's musings were quickly interrupted as Katara stood up and pecked Aang on the cheek, leaving the boy the shade of Zuko's tunic as they stepped inside to have dinner together.

"Yup, they're besties. That's definitely why their heartbeats are jumping around right now like Sparky's little dragon dance."


	3. Dance

_Day 3: Dance_

They were perfectly in sync, both teacher and pupil, and it was only their first real firebending lesson.

Katara was no firebender, but even she could tell that the Dancing Dragon sequence was a bit too much, quite a sophisticated move to be practiced during the initial stages of firebending training especially when incorporated with advanced bending intervals. Didn't firebenders have certain stretches or something? Why plunge into a rough start already? The comet wasn't approaching tomorrow, was it?

Then again, Aang's quick grip on the skill was to be expected. She could still remember the monk's enthusiasm when they ran into Jeong Jeong. Aang picked up on firebending more quickly than he did on waterbending, much more quickly than earthbending as far as _bending_ the actual element at a grand scale. He just needed the natural flow and stability associated with waterbending and earthbending in order to control his fire more gracefully.

Like he was doing now. And _Spirits_ , he was a natural. Not as aggressive as expected from a firebender but definitely determined to master the skill.

"Sugar Queen, you gotta minute?"

Katara jumped at Toph's sudden intrusion, going back to the soup in front of her that was boiling unattended. "Sorry, Toph, I'm almost done with the soup."

"No rush," the earthbender crawled over to her. "Once you're done, I'd appreciate it if you check my feet again."

"Will do. Just sit tight for a few minutes." And Katara tentatively went back to stirring the soup, seemingly not aware of what she was actually doing since her attention repeatedly flew to Aang.

Toph had been patient for a while, taking her seat against a boulder she used as a pillow while she lay back, but soon her closing eyes fell open again, and a huff flew out of her lips at her friend's lack of progress in cooking.

"Hey, Katara, you finished with that-" Sokka paused mid-question, noticing the cut vegetables which still lounged around, not yet added to the pot. "Hey, sis-"

"Leave her alone, Snoozles, she's busy."

"Obviously," he mumbled, inwardly displeased with his sister's hand flying defensively to her waterskin every time the Avatar seemed to lose balance from overwhelming amounts of fire. Aang was always quick to regain his grip, though. Every time he messed up, he corrected his mistake and insisted on repeating the sequence until he mastered it.

"He's really good," Katara mused. "Isn't he?"

Clearly she was referring to Aang, and Sokka knew that, but for the sake of calming her panicking form down, said, "Yeah, it's easy to see that Zuko improved a lot. His bending was pretty weak compared to when he first attacked us, you remember? He's definitely a lot more experienced now and that's why he's _making sure Aang doesn't get hurt_."

Toph raised her head, feeling a spike in Katara's pulse. Still, Sokka's emphasis on the last part did the waterbender little to no good. "I was talking about how good Aang was." She added the vegetables to the soup to distract herself.

"If anything, he's being more careful, too," Sokka said, reminded briefly of the incident when Aang accidentally burned Katara. He shrugged the memory away, knowing Aang would never even _think_ of doing such a thing now. "But anyway, if you want to be on guard duty so much, at least finish cooking so people who are hungry can eat."

"You ate like, what, ten apples since you woke up and jumped around with your sword?" she said, obviously annoyed. "And keep your distance. We don't want your sweat getting into the soup."

" _Eugh_!" the earthbender gagged.

"A grown warrior and practicing swordsman needs meat to survive and protect, woman!" Sokka squeaked, flustered. "Goodness, no appreciation around here for- _aah_!"

"Yeah, right," scoffed an irritable Toph, earthbending a beetle away from the screeching warrior. "Can't even drive a bug out of the way and claims he's gonna protect the group. What a baby."

Sokka's eyes darkened for a split moment, his solid seriousness quickly covered up by a vexed, " _Ugh!_ " before-

"You're losing your balance."

The trio then cast its attention towards Zuko groaning impatiently at Aang, prompting Katara to flinch with more immediate vigilance.

"Sorry, Zuko, let me do it again-"

"Well do it right this time!" the prince yelled before pausing and taking a deep breath. "Make sure you focus on your breathing and your stance. And protect your face. If it were my father, he'd have your entire face burnt by now thanks to his breath of fire."

"Okay, okay. Let's start from the top. Please."

Toph froze as she felt Katara's heart beat spike up dangerously. Sokka cleared his throat upon noticing his sister's death glare and flounced away, fiddling idly with his sword and wiping the perspiration hastily from his face. Zuko and Aang went back into their original Dancing Dragon positions. Aang took a deep breath before charging forward at a more brisk pace, beads of sweat racing down his face and trailing down the path of his arrow tattoos.

"Intimidation is not the best form of teaching," Katara said disapprovingly as she watched the two. "Can't he see Aang's doing everything he can?"

"What else do you expect Zuko to do?" Toph sighed, hoping to lighten the situation. "Dance around Baldy half-naked and correct his posture all the time like a certain someone we all know?"

Katara flushed deeply.

"Seriously, Sugar Queen, you just need a reason to keep up the hate. Lighten up and stop being whiny that someone stole your dance partner." A snicker. "Twinkletoes is not into men, so you're good. No need to be jealous."

" _Toph_!"

"Re _lax_ , can't you take a _joke_? Sheesh."

"This is not the time for jokes."

"It's still no lie that you're getting so possessive of Aang. Let him deal with his training himself."

Katara fought off her annoyance, her voice turning soft, the slightest crack in her tone not going unnoticed. "I'm only making sure he doesn't get hurt."

Toph took a turn for the solemn, too, a frown forming on her lips. "Not everyday will be like Ba Sing Se, Katara. What you're going through right now is nothing but paranoia. Just let Sparky do his thing. He won't hurt Aang."

"Okay, Toph, I'll be sure to do that," she rolled her eyes. "Last time I checked, you were the one whose feet got burned by that 'Sparky'."

"Yeah, and if _I'm_ saying there's nothing extremely _bad_ about him, then that says something, right? You know I'm not someone who trusts people easily. Isn't that why it took you guys forever to have me join your group in the first place?"

Katara's glare did not change.

"Who knows, maybe Zuko really did have a rough past-"

"Here we go-"

"He wasn't lying about that part," Toph said persistently. "I could feel it."

"Not working, Toph."

"Eh, I figured." She spat in the other direction. "Even with Aang giving you reassurance, you're having a hard time."

"You wouldn't say this if anything bad _did_ happen," came the bitter response. "Aang might be willing to trust Zuko after everything that happened, but I haven't forgotten anything."

"Fine, hate on for all I care. At least stop looking at Baldy like that directly. It's distracting him."

She paused. " _Distracting_ him?"

"It happens, the usual. You stare at him, he stares at you, your heartbeats go crazy-"

"M-My heartbeat's not-"

" _You're_ what's messing him up, if you haven't noticed by now, Madame Oblivious. _I_ would know; this happens whenever I train him, too."

Katara stole another look at Aang just in time for him to break his gaze away from her and concentrate on his bending...only to send the flames propelling in the wrong direction again. Zuko cast a glance towards Toph and Katara before looking back at the airbender and crossing his arms with impatience. Aang's ears turned red.

"I'll, uh, do it again," the monk laughed nervously, going back to square one.

"The soup's done," Katara said, putting out the cooking fire and hoisting Toph up, dragging her away from the site.

"Admit it, Katara, you're interested in more things than just protecting him."

"I was just intrigued by his firebending-!"

"Of course you are. That's why you get ready to kill Zuko on the spot when he firebends but get all embarrassed and flustered and _shy_ when Twinkletoes does the same exact move. Then again, I guess that's how it is with Baldy, too. He's the same way whenever _you_ bend in particular."

"Give it a break, will you-?"

"Seriously, the guy can't ever keep still. It's only a matter of time before he loses it and jumps on you goin' all kissy kissy-"

"Toph, that's enough, I mean it!" Immediately Katara's mind floated back to that fateful submarine. Aang's lips which lingered urgently yet softly on hers, laced with the desperation to admit what he felt mingled with the question of being able to come back. A dark blush took over her cheeks combined with a warm flutter in her chest.

"Imagining it?" Toph snorted until she suddenly quirked her brow. "Wait, did something _happen_?"

"H-Huh?!"

"Something I should know about?"

" _No_ , what could happen? What could _possibly_ happen-?!"

"Your pulse just went super crazy, Sugar Queen."

"Nothing happened!"

Toph's smirk widened to evil lengths. "I can tell you're lying."


	4. All Nighter

**_A/N: I know I'm waaaaayyyy past the deadline, and by the time I post the next oneshot, Kataang Week 2018 will come around and I'll be behind again, but every week is Kataang Week for the devout Aang/Katara shipper :3 Enjoy._**

* * *

 _Day 4: All Nighter_

 _Part 1/2_

Hakoda was barely an hour into his sleep when he awoke with a start, panting heavily. Sweat raced down the side of his face, plopping onto the warm temple grounds. It had been such a peaceful time of reunion following the escape from the notorious Fire Nation prison, and yet, the Southern chief who usually spent his nights either planning battle strategies or slumbering dreamlessly now found himself traversing nightmares- a particular one that occasionally troubled him and brought back the horrors of the past.

" _Dad! Dad, please! I think Mom's in trouble!"_

" _KYA!"_

The man ignored the heavy hammering in his chest and groaned as he rubbed his aching head, a deep burn beginning to form in his throat. The age-old mantra followed: _I'd been too late._

For a while Hakoda remained still, too numb to take in another puff of air. Kya's beautiful face was all he could picture when he closed his eyes to calm himself down. A man well into his forties and he was _still_ traumatized; then again, time served no purpose in front of lasting grief.

Eventually deciding that further sleep would do him very little good, he pulled himself up. The moon was not too prominently seen, covered by abundant clouds, but still the sky was filled in its silver glory as it lit up the surrounding group members. Hakoda cautiously stepped into the courtyard, careful not to wake Chit Sang, Haru, and the Duke who were only a few feet away. His thoughts then drifted to Sokka and Katara; for some reason, the siblings had been rather distant from the group since late afternoon, each conflicted and undesirous of food (a highly serious symptom in Sokka's case, especially). He looked for them, deciding to check on them before he figured out what to do for the night.

But there was no sign of them here. Aang, too, seemed to be missing

It has to be at least two hours past midnight, and they were _still_ awake?

He stayed on the lookout for the trio, assuming they would most likely be in one place, passing through the inner chambers as he searched. On one hand, he was fascinated with this unique architectural phenomenon known as the Western Air Temple, finding his eyes glued to the different sculptures and ancient paintings which lined some of the walls. Why, this was the first time he ever set foot in _any_ air temple, so even after Aang gave him a tour of the place a few hours before, the Southern chief couldn't be more curious. But on a more serious note, he wondered briefly if the trio had gathered to plan other tactics for ending the war, the memory of the failed invasion repeatedly weighing on his mind. Maybe Sokka was coming up with another brilliant strategy and isolated himself for the sake of planning. Maybe he was discussing it with Aang and Katara, or maybe Katara already knew of it and thought over it, spurring her sudden detachment from other group members except for Aang.

The essential questions sprang back into Hakoda's mind. What step to take next? How exactly was Team Avatar planning on facing the Fire Lord before the comet? Would Hakoda be given a chance in the next fight, too? Why, to this very moment, the chief felt he still had a lot to do to avenge Kya's death. Years of fighting and separation from his family kept his rage unfulfilled, kept reminding him of his painful inability to protect Kya during the raid.

He soon came to an abandoned area of overgrown vegetation in the easternmost direction of the temple, rather surprised to find Sokka sitting by himself next to a fountain. The warrior's eyes were transfixed wistfully on the group of clouds which blocked the moon, alert in case the celestial orb decided to grace him with its actual presence, peering at the subtle slip of moonlight as if he was locked in silent conversation with it. Gentle waves of the peeping light returned his attention and basked him in an almost surreal glow, prompting him to attempt a small, sad smile.

"Sokka?"

No response came, but obviously, Sokka's musings were of a similar yet different nature. The proud feeling that he seemed to have held all day- of being able to do _something_ about saving Hakoda instead of being a mere onlooker- was surprisingly short-lived as guilt flooded more deeply across the warrior's moonlit face. A few more seconds passed by, and what was left of a shaft of moonlight was suddenly overpowered by more clouds, obliterating the small ounce of stability left in Sokka. Disappointed, he closed his eyes and kept his head hung low beneath the darkened night, lips quivering slightly, feeling truly alone and _abandoned_. A part of him completely... _gone_...

"Sokka," Hakoda called louder.

"H-Huh?" The warrior quickly turned away, wiped his eyes in the dark, and turned back, his voice cracking a little. "O-Oh, Dad, it's you."

Hakoda rushed over to him. "What are you doing here?"

A gulp followed by a clearing of his throat. "Oh...uh...just out for some fresh air."

An obvious lie. Hakoda watched as Sokka flailed around a little bit more to dry his eyes without drawing attention to himself and get his life together as quickly as possible. The man wanted to comfort him, at least let him know there was nothing to hide when they both knew his ordeal, but how could he do so when he himself was so... _unstable_?

"Can't sleep, son?"

"Not really."

"Did you even try?"

"I wouldn't sleep even if I did."

"You speak from experience."

Sokka shrugged. "Maybe."

 _Maybe_. The older tribesman sighed.

"What about you? I thought you'd be exhausted after a mind-boggling feat like that escape," Sokka said, his voice turning gruff, his skywatch uninterrupted as his focus drifted to the reflection of the concealing clouds in the fountain water.

"Well, _you're_ certainly not exhausted."

"That's different," he said, covering up his strikingly dark tone with, "I'm not even in my prime yet and you're kind of past it."

Hakoda raised his eyebrows. "You suggesting I'm old?"

"Hey, I'm not implying anything."

Which brought about a series of chuckles, heartfelt or not. The man gently put his arm around the warrior's shoulder, and the eye contact that followed wordlessly put them on the same page.

"I was having a nightmare."

"About what?"

"Your mother." A stinging swallow. "Everything happened all over again."

"You still have nightmares about that?"

"That memory kept me company every day, Sokka. Even when I was out fighting and taking down ships."

The young warrior growled low in his throat. "Stupid war. Taking away the people we love."

"And that's why we have to help make sure we don't lose anyone else," Hakoda said, patting Sokka's shoulder. "The invasion plan really was brilliant. Even if the Fire Nation knew about it beforehand."

"Sure."

"I mean it," he said. "That's why I was wondering if you had another plan in the works."

"No official plan as of now. Aang just has to face the Firelord when he's ready. He's learning firebending now. As soon as he gains a good grip of that-"

"This torture will be over," Hakoda finished for him, leaning back against the nearest boulder. "We're so close, Sokka. _So_ close."

"Yeah." A deeper sigh as the teen rubbed the back of his neck, his head cast upward again. "But enough damage has been done."

Hakoda could feel heat brimming along with moisture in his eyes. He shrugged them away, managing to choke out, "Where's Katara when we need her?"

"Probably with Aang," Sokka mumbled.

"You saw them?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

"They're always like that," he explained. "They stay up late at night sometimes and talk about who knows what."

" _This_ late?"

"Yep. Later than this, even."

It got really quiet then. A few trees which were standing in their way slowly brushed aside from the chilling wind that swooped by, revealing two silhouettes in the far distance, a shimmering bald head coming into view. Behind the airbender was Katara, both of them caught in conversation, a laugh or two as the waterbender slowly shifted the weight of a tendril of water on his bruised back.

"You must be tired of me invading your privacy every night for this," came Katara's soft remark.

"No, not at all," the airbender said sweetly, sincerely. "I'm never tired of you, Katara."

Stillness as Katara beamed involuntarily, comforted by the comment but oblivious to the blush that was beginning to form on the airbender's cheeks. "And the healing does help, I promise," he added.

"I'm glad. I know you're too nice to complain about the pain, but you shouldn't hesitate to ask for help."

"I don't have to ask. You'd help me either way," he smiled.

Sokka made a gagging face despite the darkness from earlier that still circulated in his eyes. Hakoda simply looked over to his son. "I admit that's a really bad scar, but...she _still_ heals him?"

"Yeah, she does."

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" the older tribesman questioned. Then again, time didn't mean much if a person was traumatized enough, and he knew that by experience, didn't he?

"Aang might have been the one who was hit, but she took it much harder than he did. You saw how she was."

"I did. And I know she feels a lot for that boy."

Surprisingly, Sokka didn't say anything to that.

"I didn't...I guess I...I wasn't expecting her feelings...to carry on…this strongly, at least," Hakoda finished with a level of difficulty.

"Honestly, it's much better this way than before."

"What do you mean?"

"Used to, she'd heal him twice a day. Now it's just every night so he's not uncomfortable whenever he goes to sleep."

"Does he still feel pain?"

"Who knows? He doesn't complain about any pain but doesn't stop her, either."

It seems the monk didn't even _want_ to stop her, but Hakoda decided not to entertain the thought.

"And used to, she'd get all panicky," Sokka went on. "She still is to an extent, but now she's advanced into death threats."

 _"Death threats?"_

"Yep. That's what 'ending someone's destiny' means."

Hakoda found himself at a loss for words again. Clearly his children were not children anymore. He briefly let his gaze wander over to the rest of the group slumbering by the courtyard, spotting the fire prince and easily guessing him to be the one who received the threat, his guess confirmed by Sokka's nodding. But as surprised as Hakoda was and as nonchalant and casual Sokka's manner seemed to be about the matter, both father and son did share a mutual train of thought. At least Katara saved Aang. At least she was being fiercely protective. At least she was next to him.

"She has no idea how lucky she is," they said simultaneously, not even bothering to share a look with how _right_ they both were as they watched Katara wrap a blanket around Aang.

"I'll let you sleep now," she told the airbender. "You must be exhausted-"

"No, not really. You can stay a little longer...if you want."

Another smile, another round of obliviousness, a rise of an eyebrow at the way he was trying to cover up his fatigue. "I know those hot-squats were a real pain."

"Well, serves me right. I never did realize there were so many badger frogs around here."

She laughed. "But really, you'll probably be training harder tomorrow... well, I guess it's today, isn't it?" A frown took over her features. "Since he's back. I honestly expected him to pull another one of his surprise attack stunts."

Aang's smile didn't dwindle even as he tried to pacify her annoyance. It was a simple act; just the soft reach of her hand with his tattooed one, a gentle squeeze that sucked away her frustration. It wasn't long before she, too, was smiling again, but the airbender found his gaze shifting to the other end of the small cluster of trees that surrounded them, happening to see two figures sitting on top of a boulder.

"What is it, Aang?"

"Is that…?"

Katara followed his gaze. "Dad? Sokka?"

The men got up from their seats and headed over to them, pretending as if they just noticed them.

"Oh, there you are," Hakoda said. "Are we interrupting something?

"No, not at all, Chief Hakoda."

"Just Hakoda is fine, Aang, I told you this before."

"What are you doing out here?" Katara asked.

"I didn't see you three back there, so I panicked and started looking for you. Then I ran into Sokka."

Katara eyed her brother skeptically. "What were you doing up by yourself?"

"Can't a guy get some solitude when he needs it?"

A sudden pause from the intensity in his voice. Katara blinked. "Uh...sure..."

"Is everything okay?" Aang inquired.

"Yes, everything's fine," Hakoda assured.

But the Avatar could see that they were relying on Katara's company, and Sokka's crossness was definitely not to be ignored. He didn't want to get in the way...like he did last time when they found Bato... "I, uh...I think I'll go meditate for a while," he said. "I'm not very sleepy yet anyways. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."

"Oh... okay," Katara said. "Goodnight, Aang."

The three of them watched him leave, and though Hakoda didn't exactly want to admit it, the disappointment on his daughter's face was priceless. Sokka didn't seem too concerned about it, diverting his tender gaze back to the sky, the same cluster of clouds which blocked the moon.

"Since we're all here and we can't sleep," Hakoda suggested, having had enough of his children's emotional transformations, "Why don't we have a fire ceremony? Just like old times."


End file.
